. /.  WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION   
G/SPS/W/268 
5 July 2012 
 (12-3592) 
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures Original:   Spanish 
  
 
REVISION OF THE PROCEDUR E TO MONITOR THE PROCESS 
OF INTERNATIONAL HARMONIZATION 
 
Proposal by Argentina 
 
 
 The following communication, received on 4 July 2012, is being circulated at the request of the delegation of Argentina. 
 
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  In the framework of the revision, following th e Third Review of the SPS Agreement, of the 
Procedure to Monitor the Use of International Standa rds, and mindful of the call by the Chairman of 
the SPS Committee during the meeting held last Marc h for specific proposals in this respect, below 
are a number of suggested textual amendments (bold and underlined) to the Decision of the 
Committee G/SPS/11/Rev.1.  These suggestions ar e based on the concerns and the proposals 
submitted by Argentina in December 2010 in document G/SPS/W/255.  
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10. The Secretariat should prepare an annual report to the Committee on the list of standards, 
guidelines or recommendations established under paragr aph 8, the major trade impacts identified by 
Members and their comments regarding the use or non use of the identified international standards, 
guidelines or recommendations and of those cases identified where there was no international 
standard, guideline or recommendation, and any conclusions drawn by the Committee.  The 
Committee will transmit this report to the internatio nal organizations responsib le for developing the 
relevant sanitary and phytosanitary standards, gui delines or recommendations.  It is expected that 
Members will take this information into account, through their participation in these international 
organizations, in establishing those organizations' work priorities. 
11. Unless the submitting Member requests otherw ise, the Secretariat will also include in its 
annual report issues submitted under the agenda item "Specific Trade Concerns" in cases 
where the issue concerns : 
(a) The departure of a sanitary or phytosa nitary standard from international 
reference standards;  or 
(b) the absence or inappropriateness of exis ting international reference standards. 
12. The Committee will transmit this report to the international or ganizations responsible for 
developing the relevant sanitary and phytosanitary standards, guidelines or recommendations.  It is 
expected that Members wi ll take this information into account, through their participation in these 
international organizations, in establishi ng those organizations' work priorities. G/SPS/W/268 
Page 2  
 
  13. The report will also be cumulative in ord er to give a more compreh ensive and complete 
picture of the situation regarding implementati on of the international harmonization process . 
Further Action 
 
14. Following the review noted in paragraph 3 of the operation of this provisional monitoring 
procedure, the Committee may want at a later st age to consider the n eed for a more focused 
monitoring procedure.  In particular, the Committ ee may wish to consider developing standard 
formats for the supply of information under paragraphs 6-81, and using those standards, guidelines or 
recommendations which have been identified as havi ng a major impact on international trade and are 
of widespread concern to Members (paragraph 8 re fers) as the basis for a pilot project to obtain 
additional information as to how Members ar e dealing with the standards, guidelines or 
recommendations of concern. 
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1 See footnote 4.